Reserve fuel system for automobiles



" June 12, 1923.

,1,458,203 P. TANNER A VRESERVE FUEL SYSTEM FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed May 161922 Patented June 12, 1923.

AUNI'IEDl sfraxrlasg PEEEY yfraivnnn, or ASHLAND, KENTUCKY.

i. RESERVEl FUEL' s YsfrEiu` Eon AUTOMOBILES..

f ,Appii'ationaied nay 1e, 1922. serial No. 561,2eo,

serve Fuel Systems for Automobiles, of f use in connection with Fordautomobiles, in

which, With the main tank partially filled,`

the automobile in climbing a steep grade may and frequently does elevatethecar bureter above the level of the fuelin kthe main tank, hence thegrav-ity feed from the main' tank fails and theengine stops. yFui.'-thermore, it not infrequently happens that the main fuelsupply pipebecomes clogged, or the vacuum tank, if such system isused, becomesinoperative. Under any` of these conditions, the driver, by the simplemanipulation of a rod, will control a valve Which serves to cuty off themain supply pipe from the carbureterv and connect to such carbureter anemergency supply pipe leading `from an emergency tank supported on thecylinder block in a mannerfto thus maintain.

the emergency supply above the earbureter under any and all conditions.i

The essential characteristics kof the inven- -tion therefore are, anemergency fuelV tank of a size to contain at least a gallon of fuel,,removably supported on the lengine block, preferablyy on thesideopposite l.that on which the carbureter is located, With a gravityfeed pipe leading from such emergency tank to a valve arrangedon theinlet side of the carbureter. The feed pipe from the main fuel tank alsoleads throughthisvalve, and the valve is constructed to open either themain fuel pipe or emergency fuel pipe for supplying the carbureter. yThe valve is controlled through a rod leading to and through theinstrument board of an automobile and mounted with such relation tovanindicator that the driver can tellk at a glance whether the-carbureterisf being supplied `Animportant feature of the present invention kis theconstruction` and arrangement, of details which will permit theapplication of the device to ythe present type of Ford automobilesWithout change, the tank being adapted for removable connecranged to beinterposed between themain. fuel pipe of the present construction andthe carbureter inlet. i

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in' which:

F ig. 1 is a View in elevation partly in section showing the applicationof' the improved emergency fuel supply device.

Fig. 2 is a perspective View illustrating thek mounting of the emergencyfuel tank.

Fig. 3 is an end elevatiQn of the same.

F ig. 4.- is a sectional vievv illustrating the fuel control valve.

f Fig. 5 is `a broken perspective view showing the valve positionindicator. n

The' emergency fuel tank l of theA present system is preferably arrangedimmediately adjacent the cylinder block 2, on the sidevopposite that onwhich the carbureter 3 is located. The fuel tank is preferablycylindrical and of a size to receive a gallon or more of fuel. It isremovably supported in place by metal straps 3 Which encircle the tankand have their ends formed With openings 4to slip over the engine head.bolts 5 of the present construction. vThe tank is liXed against movementrelative to the supports thus` provided by providin a central band 6,which encircles the tank, t e ends of which `band 6, are secured beneathone of the bolts 7 of the Water connection k8.l The tank has asuitablefilling opening closed by a cap 9 and a valve controlled outlet l0,fromk `Which extends the emergency fuel supplyv vpipe ll.

The supply pipe 1l extends around the lrear of thek block and to and incommunication with a valve kcasing 12. The valve casing l2 is removablyconnected to the carbureter intake 13 and is formed'vvith a main shownin Fig. 4. The passages 14 and l5 are interrupted by a valve bore orseat 16, in

ywhich is mounted a conical valve 17. The

valve is held to its seat by a spring 18 and tion to the engine, and thevalve being arlimited in its rotary movement through the medium of a setscrew 19 engaging with a channelQO-of suitable length formed 1in thevalve. The valve is formed with dia- 5 Inetrically opposed passages 21and `22,

adapted when the valveis in proper` lposition to establish continuity ofthe passages 14C and 15. As the valvepassages'or ports 21 and 22 arediametrically opposed, it is lo apparent that With the valve turned soas to cause the-port 21 to open the `passage 121- throughthe casing, thepassage 15 Will be cut off, the turning of the valve to its oppositeposition openinglthe passageand i5 cutting off'the passage'lfl.

The emergency tank supply pipe 11 is removably connected with thevalvecasing 12 in line. with the fuel passage 15 through such casing.The rnain or usual fuel tank Vhas the main fuel supply pipe 2l connectedwith the valve casing 12 inlinewith Ythe passage 14 through such casing.Thus by manipulationofthe valve y17, eitherithe main tank '23 ortheemergency tank 1 may be utilized as a fuel supply 'forthe carbureter,it` being apparent 'that with eithertank -23 or 1 in use for service,theother tank is absolutely cut off.

, The `valve 17 is ycontrolled through airod 25 having a removableconnection with 'the valve, asby seating the end of the rod in a recess2G in the upper end of the valve and passing a pin`27jthroughthe valveandrod. The upper end ofthe 'rod passes through the daslr 28 ofthevehicle and is formed to provide a lateral Ahandle portion 29 by whichvthe rod, -and therefore'the valve, may be manipulated. Thehandleportion`29 preferably overlies 'anindi'catoin adapted to be 40 removablysecured to the instrument board "and having. afa'ce portion 30` markedto indicatefthe opposite'positions' of the valve, andthe fuel supplyinsuch position, as for example, Vsuch facemight be marked on one side.ofthe center with `they lettersR; L., in-

dicating the reserve'line open, and on the 'other side of thecenterthe'letters M. L., indicating ithe main line open. Thus vWith gthehandle 29 in oneposition or'the other,

the drivercan tell `at a glance which supply `is/openf to thelcarbureter,V and in-ayl of course through proper Amovement of the valve17 through the handle 29, change such supply at `Will.

y:It is to beparticularly noted that theiapparatus as a Whole isdesigned for convenient and 'ready installation on the particular typeofautoinobile for which it is provided. Theemergencyfuel tank 1 maybereadily u() secured in `place by *merelyy removing one of *theboltsY-,farndi reapplyingsaid bolt through lthe'ends ofthe 'hand 6 aftertheta-nk has been ypositioned by slipping theends ofthe vbands"3f-overthe-projecting lheads `of'the engine lhead bolts 5. The mainfuel line .24 is then disconnected from the carbureter and the. valvecasing 12 interposed, the emergency fuel pipe line 11 andthelinain fuelline 24 being connected to the casing. The-rod 25 isthen extendedthrough a hole formed in the instrument board and connected to the valve17, the indicator 30 being secured in place. Thus the installationrequires merely the application of an opening through the dash and thesecuring of the indicator to the dash, all other connections andmountings entirely avoiding anynecessity f or any change whatever in thepresent arrangement and construction.

1f desired, a heat' delecting baffle-platel may beinterposedbetWeenftheta-nk 1 and the engine to form a spaceffor thepassage of air, to avoid undue heating of the reserve supply ofgasoline.

With the fuel Afronilthe--inain tank properly reachingthecarbureter-,-it is Vnotnecessary to disturb the emergency supply. If forany1 reason the main supply-proveslin adequate, as forexainp-le,theexhaustionof such main supply, the-inclination of theautomobile to -raise the carburetery above vthe level of the `supplyinthevniain tank; fthe clogging of the mainsupply'pipef 24,-orfthefailure of fthe vacuum tank if such `sys-tem is used,-the operatormerely sli'iftsthe-valve handle 29 to the reserve -fline indication,"Whereuponthe `reserve fuel tank'1fis immedialtely open to theyca--rbureter andi the in-ain line pipe 24 cut off. This precludes anylpossibility of the fuel fromtherreserve .tank 1 ioWinfr back into themaintank.

It will' be noted thatlthelreserve fuel: tank isin a plane abovethecarbureter, andthat the supply pipe11lfrorn'such-tank haspnac- `ticallya. direct `verticalsupply tofthe carbureter. .Hencethere is nopossibility ofthe emergency orreserve supply yfailing inzits delivery toI the .f carbureter.

Alll/*hat I clainr-is:

1. In combination v 'withV a ;fmotor vehicle having a motor,a-scarbureter a anain `fuel supply tank, a mainfuel supply"` pipeleading from the main fuel supply tank, an auxiliary fuel'supplyrta-nkmounted on the `motori-and `vabove 'thehorizontal plane .ofi thecarbureter,

-ineans for'spacifngthe auxiliaryffuel supply tankfroin the motor toforni an =air. passage between said tank andthe motor toi-coolztheliquid fuel in"thewtank,fan auxiliaryffuel supply pipe extending froni lthe .auxiliary'fuel supplytank, avalve easing Wt-hsvhiclrthe mainandauxiliary fuel 'supplyipipesicommunicate, a pipe connecting.. saidcasing and the carbureter, avalve ini the casingforfcontrolling the flow:of fuelithrough the main vand-auxiliary: fuel supply pipes,andan-operating handle extending from 'the r:va-lveito Within 'reach of`the foperator ofithex'vehicle. 2. In 4combinationwith a motor vehiclehaving a motor, bolts for securing the hea-'d to the motor, acarbureter, a main fuel supand extending over the motor and fastened plypipe communicating with the earbure'ter, by the bolts Vwhich secure thehead, vand ar an auxiliary fuel supply tank located ad- Valve forcontrolling the fuel passing 10 jacent the upper portion of the motor, athrough themain and auxiliary fuel supply 5 spacing strip interposedbetween the motor pipes. f

and the auxiliary fuel supply tank to cool Intestimony whereof I aix mysiv ature. the latte-r, bands securedto the latter tank v PERRY TAN ER.

